Monday, September 22, 2008

Profile of Haley Chiappino

JN201 Fall 2008

Christened Haley Chiappino, she was born on September 23, 1990 to Italian and Trinidadian parents. This seventeen year old grew up with three step-siblings and a half-sister. Haley admits that her parents' separation is already a norm. Despite a close relationship with her father, she said that they have, in recent years, drifted apart. However, Haley discusses her childhood as a happy one. She kept busy on her school's rugby and ice hockey team and enjoys snowboarding in winter.

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Ontario born and bred, Haley Chiappino is a junior varsity student who boasts a distinct ethnic heritage. ‘I come from a pretty diverse background. My mom is from the Islands and my father is European,’ she said in describing her family.

Her mother hails from Trinidad while her father is an Italian. Born in Oakville on 23 September 1990, this bubbly teenager attended school in her native hometown before going on to high school in nearby Burlington. Her summer job experiences include working as a sales person and waitressing. ‘I like waitressing better,’ she said, because her sociable nature enables her to ‘handle customers with different personalities’.

A proud member of her school’s ice hockey and rugby tem, she claims to be a passionate sportswoman. ‘I’m generally a nice person, but on the ice or field, I’m a big meanie!’ she added. Her athletic escapade extends into winter when she snowboards while her family vacations at the Alpine Ski Club. However, the field and ice are not the only places where she performs with courage and confidence.

In 1993, her parents’ marriage came to an end and young Haley went to live with her mother. ‘I’m perfectly OK with it,’ she answered nonchalantly when asked about her parents’ divorce. She recalls her childhood as being happy and fulfilled. Haley enjoyed a close relationship with her father despite living apart from each other although, she admits, they have grown apart over the years since her father remarried. Nevertheless, she enjoys a balanced and happy family life with her mother, step father, two step siblings and a half sister. She explains how living with separate parents can have its perks. ‘Two Christmases, two birthdays, two thanksgivings, how can you complain!’ she said, laughing.

For this buoyant teenager, it seems that every cloud really does have a silver lining.

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